Dawood Inc finds new ally in war against Chhota Rajan gang

MUMBAI: In a major shakeup in the underworld, India's most wanted Dawood Ibrahim gang is believed to have joined hands with fugitive don Bharat Nepali, who was recently in the news for a string of killings in the city, including that of Chhota Rajan's aide Farid Tanashah.

According to sources, Chhota Shakeel, the front man of D-company, had offered a hand to Nepali recently after the latter ordered the killing of Tanashah in Tilak Nagar, fortress of Rajan gang. "Dushman ka dushman dost hota hai" (enemy's enemy is a friend), said a Shakeel aide. Sources said that this development assumes significance in the long ongoing rivalry between Rajan and Dawood gangs.

Shakeel has offered to help Nepali in bailing out four of his accomplices — Devendra Jagtap alias JD, Pinto Devram Dagle, Vinod Yashwant Vichare and Hasmukh Solanki — who were arrested for killing advocate Shahid Azmi. Azmi, who represented a number of alleged terrorists including those arrested for7/11 attacks, was gunned down by the four accused on February 11 this year.

Sources said Shakeel also plans to help those involved in killing Tanashah, who was shot in his house on June 4. "Shakeel had been wanting to eliminate Tanashah for a long time but could not due to strong security," said a source. A senior cop said, "At present nobody knows who has tied up with whom. We're keeping tabs to keep them under control."

Further, six months after the sessions court bar association unanimously decided that nobody will represent the accused who shot their colleague Shahid Azmi, a battery of lawyers has come up to represent the four alleged killers.

Advocate Rajesh Srivastav, one of the advocates representing two of the accused said, "The principle of natural justice says nobody can be condemned as everybody is presumed to be innocent until proved guilty. I am just doing my duty."